Knowledge and Skills Statement
Provide students with an informational text that has multiple text features. Ask students to notice the text features and consider the way in which they support comprehension of the text. Have students imagine that those features were not included in the text and predict how would it make reading the text different.
Possible Questions:
- If the timeline was not included, how would comprehension of the text be different?
- How does the pronunciation guide assist the reader?
- What is the purpose of including the illustration/photo/diagram in the text?
Further Explanation
This assessment requires students to identify various text features that are common to informational texts and determine how these features help the reader to better understand what the author is attempting to share.
Research
Davidson, M., & Berninger, V. (2016). Informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essay composing of fifth and seventh graders: Not all essay writing is the same. Journal of Psychoeducation, 34(4), 311–321. doi:10.1177/0734282915604977
Summary: Middle schools students write essays in three genres using background knowledge, graphic illustrations to enhance mental images, and oral reading (listening comprehension). The results of the study suggest that students exhibited considerable difference between the genre, writing quality, organizational skills, and length. The study provides teachers with an overview of approaches that may support students to write in multiple genres. Importance is placed on assessing genres.